Grand-piano action.



L. D. PERRY.

GRAND PIANO ACTION.

APPLICAHON FlLED OCT. 2. 19m.

Patented July 3, 1917.

Zycwfl P27; 9% m UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LYCUS I). PERRY, OF NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO LUDWIG AND COM 4 PANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEV YORK.

GRAND-PIANO ACTION.

Application filed October 2, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LYCUS D. PERRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Rochelle, in the county of lVestchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grand-Piano Actions, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in grand piano actions, and has for its principal object to simplify the mechanism, without the loss of the repetition qualities.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pianoaction, embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the jack included therein, and

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the repetition lever.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designates a piano-key, which is pivoted in the usual manner. Arranged near and above the piano key 5 is a stationary rail 6, upon which is pivoted to swing in a vertical plane, as shown at 7, a wippen 8. This wippen carries a depending shoulder or projection 9, which is engaged by a capstan screw 10, connected with the piano key 5, in the usual manner.

The numeral 11 designates a jack, pivotally connected, as shown at 12, with the free end of the wippen 8. This jack is provided at its lower end with a trip-arm 13, rigidly secured thereto. The trip-arm 13, when the jack 11 is elevated, is adapted to contact with a stationary regulating trip-button 14, carried by a stationary rail 15. The rail 15 is connected with the upper stationary rail 16, by means of a bracket 17, as shown. The swinging movement of the jack 11 to the left is controlled by a regulating button 18, contacting with a rigid spoon 19, carried by the wippen 8, as shown.

20 designates a post or support which is rigidly attached to the wippen 8, as shown. 21 designates a repetition lever, which is pivoted to the upper end of the post 21, to swing in a vertical plane, as shown at 22. The repetition lever 21 has one end of a spring 23 rigidly attached thereto, the lower Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 3, 1917.

Serial No. 123,342.

end of which is connected with a flexible element or cord 24, passing through an openlng 25 in the post 20, and then attached to the jack-fly 11, suitably near its pivot 12, as shown. to swing the repetition lever 21 upwardly and the jack 11 toward the post 20.

The repetition lever 21 has an extension 25, provided at its free end with a cushionstop 26 or lateral extension. The extension 25 has an upper edge 27, which is normally slightly inclined to the horizontal and en'- tends upwardly to the right. This inclined edge 27 is arranged to directly contact with a cushioned shoulder or stop 28, formed upon the upper end of the jack 11, which has a recess or notch 29 formed therein, for the passage of the extension 25. Vhen the jack 11 is turned upon'its pivot 12, to the right, the stop or shoulder 28 traveling along the inclined edge 27 causes the repetition lever 21 to be drawn downwardly, for the purpose to be described.

Pivotally connected with the rail 16, as shown at 29, is the hammer-butt 30 of a vertically swinging piano hammer 31. The hammer-butt 30 is adapted to contact with the repetition lever 21 and the upper end of the jack 11, as shown. The piano hammer is moved upwardly to strike a string 32.

The numeral 33 designates a back-check, carried by the end of the piano ,key 5, as shown.

The operation of the action is as follows:

hen the piano key 5' is pressed down, the back end thereof moves upwardly, which causes the wippen 8 and the elements carried thereby to rise. The jack 11 pushes the hammer-butt 30 upwardly, and this throws the hammer 31 upwardly against the string. Just before the hammer strikes the string, the arm 13 of the jack contacts with the regulating trip button 14 and the jack is tripped so that it disengages the hammerbutt 30. By having the edge 27 inclined, as above explained, when the jack 11 is moved or tripped from under the butt 30, the repetition lever 21 is pulled downwardly slightly so that this repetition lever is prevented from pushing the hammer close up and against the string. lVhen the hammer strikes the string 32, the rebound causes the hammer-butt 30 to force the repetition lever 21 downwardly, until the heel of the hammer 31 will wedge fast within the back- The spring 23 serves check When the piano key 5 is released, the piano hammer 31 is freed from the backcheck 33 and the spring 23 causes the repetition lever 21 to elevate the hammer-butt 30 and hold it up so that the end of the jack 11 may be drawn under and in contact with the hammer-butt 30, by means of the flexible element 24, which is attached to the spring 23. a

It is obvious that the upward movement of the repetition lever 21 is controlled by the padded stop or shoulder 28 contacting with the extension 25.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A grand piano action comprising, a wippen, a jack pivotally connected with the wippen and having a stop, a repetition lever pivotally connected with the wippen and having a portion thereof arranged beneath and in contact with the stop of the jack, yielding means to retain the jack in the starting position and the repetition lever in the upper position so that the stop of the ack will contact with the edge of the repetition lever, means to trip the jack when moved upwardly a predetermined distance, and a pivoted piano hammer having a hammer-butt arranged to contact with th repetition lever and jack.

2. A grand piano action comprising, a wippen, a jack pivotally connected with the wippen and provided with a lateral projection, a repetition lever pivotally con- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

nected with the wippen and extending upon one side of the jack beneath the lateral extension which contacts therewith and controls its upward movement, yielding means tending to move the repetition lever upwardly, means to trip the jack, and a pivoted piano hammer having a portion thereof adapted to contact with the repetition lever and jack.

3. A grand piano action comprising, a wippen, a. ack pivotally connected with the Wippen and provided with stop means, a repetition lever pivotally connected with the wippen and extending upon one side of the jack and beyond the same and having its upper edge inclined with respect to the horizontal and extending upwardly away from the pivot of the repetition lever with such inclined edge contacting with the stop means of the jack, means to move the repetition lever upwardly with respect to its pivot, means to trip the jack, and a piano hammer adapted to be actuated by the repetition lever and jack. 7 V

at. A grand piano action comprising, a wippen, a jack pivotally connected with the wippen and provided with stop means, a repetition lever pivotally connected with the wippen and extending near the jack and contacting with the stop means thereof which limits its upward swinging movement, a spring connected with the repetition lever, means connecting the spring and the jack, means to trip the jack, and a piano hammer adapted to be actuated by the repetition lever and jack.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LYCUS D. PERRY.

Witnesses JOHN HnRMs, CARL J OHNSON.

Washington, D. G. 

